Authentic Breathing® Resources LLC

Our breathing, the way we actually breathe from day to day, can have a
powerful influence on our blood pressure. For example, when we breathe too fast
for the conditions in which we find ourselves (what is sometimes called hyperventilation), or when we breathe through our mouth on a consistent
basis and end up "overbreathing," we can lose too much carbon dioxide too
quickly and the arteries and vessels can constrict and the red blood
cells become sticky. This means that the heart has to work harder to attempt to
get oxygen where it is needed in the brain and body. This can exacerbate or even
cause high blood pressure in many people.

By undertaking a program of natural, authentic breathing to eliminate bad
breathing habits and to ensure that the
diaphragm can move freely through it full range of motion in coordination with
appropriate effortless movement from the belly, back, ribs, and chest--one can
have a positive impact on one's blood pressure. Chronic mouth breathing, breath
holding, upper chest breathing, and other bad breathing habits can raise your
blood pressure. Breathing in a slower, more natural, balanced, and complete way helps
turn on your parasympathetic nervous system, your "relaxation
response," which can often help to reduce blood pressure that is too high.
You can learn and practice many of the fundamental principles of natural, healthy breathing through
the books The Tao of Natural Breathing
and Free Your Breath, Free
Your Life.

It is also important to lose any excess weight and to exercise daily. This
will also help your breathing. Brisk walking for at least 30 minutes a day and
swimming are excellent practices for those with mild to moderate hypertension.
If you are undertaking a new exercise program, however, be sure to discuss
it with your licensed health care professional before beginning.

Try RESPeRATE

In addition to undertaking an on-going program of natural breathing, a
safe, powerful easy-to-use device that may also help you reduce your blood
pressure is the FDA-cleared product called
RESPeRATE.
Used for just 15 minutes a day, a few days a week, this device can help slow your
breathing down in a natural, effortless way, and has been clinically shown to
help reduce blood pressure in many instances. It is also very helpful in reducing stress and
anxiety. RESPeRATE automatically analyzes your individual breathing patterns and
creates a personalized melody composed of two distinct inhale and exhale guiding
tones. You simply listen to the melody through the headphones and effortlessly
synchronize your breathing to the tones. By prolonging the exhalation tone,
RESPeRATE guides you to slow your breathing and reach the "therapeutic zone" of
less than 10 breaths a minute. RESPeRATE has been featured on multiple media
channels such as NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC.
Learn
more about it, including quotations from MDs and recent research that has been done.

Natural Supplements that Can Help

Aside from the usual blood pressure medications, which often have undesirable
side effects and don't work for everyone, there are a variety of safe supplements that can also
often help your breathing and
blood pressure. For instance, research has shown that
ultra-refined
fish
oil can by itself reduce high blood pressure. Other supplements that can
help are Perfusia (L-Arginine), L-Carnatine, magnesium, and Coenzyme
Q10, as well as herbs such as Balance3 (www.balance3.com). Another important
consideration is to be sure that you get enough potassium. A safe, simple way to
help make this possible is to drink a (5.5 fluid ounces) can of low-sodium V8 juice at
both breakfast and dinner. The ratio per can (Campbell's low-sodium V8 juice) of
570 mg of potassium to 80 mg of sodium is a healthy one according to Julian
Whitaker M.D., and will, he says, help ensure that you get adequate potassium in a safe
way. He also recommends the other supplements we've listed above.

Lifestyle Changes

If you have high blood pressure, you may also need to look at your
"lifestyle." If you are in life conditions that constantly make you anxious,
fearful, angry, irritated, and so on, you can be sure that these emotional
states will constrict your breathing and influence your blood pressure in an
adverse way. Likewise, if you overeat, drink, smoke, and get too little
exercise, your breathing and blood pressure can also be adversely affected. Depending on your
heredity, conditioning, and level of awareness, you may be living in conditions
and in such a way that no amount of better breathing and supplements or
medications will
help reduce your blood pressure. If you have tried everything else, and your high blood pressure
persists, you may need to make some dramatic changes in yourlife,
in what you
do and how you do it--perhaps a new job will be necessary, perhaps changes in
your living circumstances. If you are honest with yourself, you will know what
needs to be changed. The best place to start is with your daily habits and your own attitudes toward
yourself and the world.

It is also true that working in a serious way with your breathing can have a
powerful influence on both your living habits and your attitudes toward yourself
and others, which can also
have a powerful influence your blood pressure. Your breathing connects all aspects of your
life--physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
A healthy change in
breathing--learning how to breathe in a free, natural and harmonious way with
your entire body--can bring with it healthy changes in many other areas of your
life.

Caution: If you work with your breathing or undertake any of the other approaches discussed above and are already
taking blood pressure medication, it is
important to work closely with a licensed health care professional before
reducing or discontinuing your medication.